Adelaide midfielder Sam Berry says the imperfect journey to reach his 100th game is something that fills him with great pride.
Selected with Pick No.26 in the 2020 National Draft, Berry has ridden the roller coaster of AFL footy, having featured at the elite level early in his career, before being forced to bide his time in the reserves as he developed his game.
Berry’s hard work in the SANFL paid off, as he earned a recall in Round Eight of last season, and had not been omitted since.
In 2026 he took his game to new heights, as he averaged a career-high in disposals (22.1), led the League in tackles, and won the Showdown Medal for a best-on-ground performance against the Power in Round Eight.
Speaking to AFC Media in the lead-up to his milestone, Berry reflected on his journey to triple figures.
“To be honest, I was never sure that I'd reach the 100-game milestone, so I’m absolutely stoked to tick this off, and in the finals as well, it’s pretty cool,” Berry said.
“Everyone has a different journey, some people figure it out quicker than others, and mine's been a bit of a roller coaster.
“Obviously, playing early and then playing a year of SANFL and then kind of making my way back in I learnt a lot about myself, both as a player and as a person.
“It’s cool to be in a position where I’ve cemented it (my spot) now, it’s taken a lot of hard work to get here and it's an opportunity I’ll never take for granted.
“I think the finals have probably taken the milestone off my mind a little bit to be honest, there's been some other things going around the club with Tex’s retirement and a few other things like that which have kept me pretty occupied.
“I'll probably reflect a bit more at the end of the year pretty focused on just trying to win this week and yeah get Brissy done.”
Berry recorded the first finals win of his career last week, as the Crows defeated the Bulldogs in a thrilling Elimination Final at Adelaide Oval.
He said the result instilled great confidence in both himself and the team that would carry on throughout its September campaign.
“It was a pretty good feeling coming off the ground last week, and it’s given us a huge confidence boost,” Berry said.
“That confidence comes from the fact that they were leading in the last quarter, and the calmness and energy we showed to get the game back on our terms was awesome from us.
“We've spoken about it a lot, that we've experienced all types of things during games this year, and there's no scenario that we haven't been in.
“We've been behind in the last quarter during games this year and won, so we took confidence out of that. But to get it done under that sort of pressure in a big final, it was a special feeling.”
Berry will travel to Brisbane for his 100th game, as the Crows look to extend their season by beating the reigning premier Lions on their own turf.
He said the challenge was something he and the group could not wait to undertake.
“I think we’re all just licking our lips at the opportunity to get up there and have a crack at the Lions,” Berry said.
“We all know they are a great side, and are very tough to beat on their home deck and finals, but we have the confidence and belief in each other that our best footy is good enough to get it done.
“It should be a cracking game up there at The Gabba, and I can’t wait to get into it.”
Adelaide takes on Brisbane in a Semi-Final at the Gabba this Saturday night, with the match to start at 7.05pm (ACST).
Fans who can’t make it up to Brisbane can show their support for the Club by backing our AFLW team in a blockbuster clash against the Cats at Unley Oval on Saturday afternoon, with the match to begin at 2.35pm.
Get your tickets here.
